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tv   BBC World News  WHUT  September 20, 2010 7:00am-7:30am EDT

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bbc world news is presented by kcet, los angeles. funding for this presentation is made possible by the the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. union bank. and siemens. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. from small businesses, to major corporations -- what can we do for you? >> somewhere in america, there is a doctor who can peer into the future. there is a nurse who can access in an instant every patient's past. and because the whole hospital is working together, there is a
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family that can breathe easy right now. somewhere in america we have already answered some of the nation's toughest health care questions. and the over 60,000 people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens, answers. >> and now bbc world news. >> handover in helmand, british pruett -- troops pull out of the deadly sangin district and the americans take over. >> especially on the store. >> that is the view from the front lines. british commanders insist they are leaving with their heads held high. we will be asking whether this is a retreat for a sensible change in strategy.
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welcome to "gmt." i'm george alagiah. with a world of news and opinion. also on the program. the lockerbie bomb or is visited at his sick bed by the father of one of the victims. taking no chances. rest the engineers in she lay -- chile start a third drill as they try to reach the trapped miners. it is midday in london, early morning in washington and 3:30 p.m. in afghanistan where british forces have handed over responsibility of the sangi district to the u.s. military. it has seen some of the most ferocious fighting. nearly a third of british fatalities have occurred there. this latest transfer of responsibility is bound to raise a question -- are the british pulling out with their tails between their legs or is this simply a sensible deployment now that there are more u.s. troops on the ground. our correspondent reports now from sangin.
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>> five bloody summers in hellman's. 337 british lives lost and almost a third of all deaths happened here, in the most dangerous district of all, sangin. with the last journalist to visit, and hand over to u.s. forces. a time to reflect an for hard questions about the sacrifices that have been made. >> it has to be hard moment -- would be completely wrong or almost immoral of me not to sort of question what is we are doing. it is a sort of natural reaction every time there is a regrettable loss of life. but i think those sorts of moments could be overcome. >> we joint british and u.s. marines and to prepare for one of their last joint patrols. for a final few days, they must brave their demons.
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>> it has the depth to their reputation massively, especially on this tour. it is starting to almost one of -- taliban is trying their hardest to try to break us. >> commanders were keen to show us what they achieved. how sangon has prospered and how much safer it has become. but this is what we saw. and long and brutal fight throughout much of the day. it doesn't happen all the time anymore. but it shows the taliban is still battling coalition troops. and now america must try to finish the job britain started. what just happened now is a 500 pound bomb has just been dropped on taliban positions. you can see the gun fire. this gunbattle has really been going on for the best part of 45 minutes.
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a couple of u.s. marines from the control of the 14th commando will marine -- royal marines. more than 10 soldiers and civilians were wounded. no british troops were injured this time. but they know what days like this are like. and the pain and death brings. >> morale destroyed. there have been some really bad days, especially when one of ours that killed. it was hard to carry on with what we were doing. it was hard not to just give up. >> so, britain's mission in this troubled part of home and is coming to an end. it cost the lives of 106 men. the debate over the sacrifice and rewards goes on. in a war that still shows few signs of leaving. bbc news, sangin.
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>> let us take a look as some of the other stories making headlines. a man whose daughter was killed in the lockerbie bombing paid a visit to the only person found guilty. he spent an hour with al- megrahi at a hospital in libya last week. he was freed from prison in scotland last year on compassionate grounds. let us talk to our correspondent . the glass cgow it was controversial enough of the time when al-megrahi was released. this is going to add to it, isn't it? >> i think it is. but i think for the doctor and others who had questions about the lockerbie case and the conviction of of the boston al- megrahi, is they believe that mr. mcgraw he was not guilty. and i think what the doctor is trying to do and abdel basset al-megrahi as well as to highlight the answer -- the unanswered questions, to provide
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publicity really for their claim that there are these unanswered questions about the conviction. >> he might have brought some publicity, as you say, but the fact remains there will bid an awful lot of people who will hear about this and say, this man was released on compassionate grounds, were told he had only three months to live and here he is all these months later still rounds. >> i am sure it is absolutely right. dr. suarez said he was surprised at the condition of al-megrahi. that he was in bed in the hospital but he was able to get up and walk around, although he was not able to walk a great distance. it is surprising on the face of it given he was diagnosed with terminal cancer over a year ago, prostate cancer, and was said he only had three months to live and it was on that basis he was given a compassionate release. this will, i think, not be greeted very favorably by many people who are still convinced that megrahi was guilty of the
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lockerbie bombing. he was released on compassionate grounds. he did not have a successful appeal so he still is the only person convicted of the lockerbie bombing and this cannot be welcome news for those people who are still absolutely convinced, as many people are, that al-megrahi was guilty of the lockerbie bombing. >> thanks very much. there's been another twist and allegations of match fixing in the england-pakistan cricket series. the chairman of the pakistan cricket board has claimed some england players accepted what he calls enormous amounts of money to lose friday's one-day international. english cricket board say they are not commenting at this stage. it comes after three pakistani players were charged by the authorities after allegations of spot fixing. he said the was a conspiracy against the pakistani team and
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inglis players should be investigated by the icc. >> they should go and investigate and find out. it is not my job. my job is to look after my players. and if there is a double standard applied to my players i will be sure that they apply it to it -- my own investigation of the highest level. i will definitely, and make it public. >> the party in sweden won its first seats, denying the governing center-right coalition an overall majority. the swede in democrats won 20 seats. they deny they are racist but the mainstream blogs ruled out working was compared it panel into the deadly hostage taking on a bus in the philippines recommended sanctions against top officials. it ended with eight hong kong tourist dead. the train crash killed at least 20 people in the india.
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a freight train slammed into a stationary passenger train in heavy rain. more than 300 kilometers south of delhi. the 33 july and-track of the crown for 46 days now -- 33 chilean miners trapped 46 days now. a new stage of the rescue operation. they are beginning to widen the deep hole to bring the men out safely from the san jose mined near santiago. our correspondent was there. >> a flying visit from the president knows the eyes of the world are upon his country. so far this rescue operation has gone smoothly. mr. pinera once to make sure it continues to do so. this was his fifth visit to the mine since the trauma started to unfold in early august. the president said he hoped that
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on his next one, he would be able to meet the miners in person aboveground. >> we have done our best to rescue them alive. and we will succeed in this tremendous effort. when? we don't know. but it will be sooner than what we expect. >> the president spoke to them via a video link that stretches down to the refuge, 700 meters below ground. he also met baby as pawns of who was born this week. the father is one of the trapped men. the baby's name in spanish means hope. the relatives of the men are now in regular contact with their loved ones. they say that despite being below ground for over 40 the meh physically and mentally. the rescue team is slowly working its way toward the miners. this week, and for the first
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time since this operation began, three drills will be digging three different escape tunnels. the government says it hopes to rescue them by early november. but the time frame it does appear to be shortening. some engineers are already saying it could -- conclusion as early as next month. gideon long, bbc news, san jose mine. >> south africa's president came to power three years ago. he could get a taste of the same medicine this week when the ruling anc and indian ocean city for a midterm review. actually no election as such but with or one dissatisfaction among especially union members this could turn out to be a more troublesome gather in -- gathering.
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>> strike talk has filled the streets of south africa. unions holding the country ransom -- as the agency embarks on a major policy summit. two sides are squaring off for a fight. unions versus big businesses, battling for control. traditionalists and modernist all on one party. a young entrepreneur making a living for himself, to a teacher like libya, at a state school, demanding more pay. life in urban south africa is not cheap. a single mother of two is frustrated. with eight years teaching experience she still struggles to make ends meet. and she sees political been -- leaders have forgotten. >> but i know that as an
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educator i deserve more. i went to school for it. and i need to be respected for it. and they need to be rewarded for it. >> but there is another side. and new generation of japan nor is coming of age. -- a new generation entrepreneu r. now mentor to other students. with his sister he runs a catering firm. although he respects the parties blend of business and labor, he fears a culture of entitlement is taking hold. >> i think people are still sitting around, thinking the jobs should come to them. where we probably need to start equipping people in terms of, you need to go get what is rightfully yours, and that might be through education. them at the grass roots, the attacks on the ruling party have got more personal. just read some of the banners
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during the strike. but on home ground here in durban here inzuma 10 still pull a crowd. open to advice about how to juggle the factions. so, with the party faithful gathered here on the shores of the indian ocean, it is going to be an interesting week. prepared to see a battle for the very soul of the anc. things can get pretty choppy in these political waters. although jacob zuma is assured of the job for the time being, we are likely to get a with of whether the anc will give him a second term. president zuma's populist credentials are likely to be his saving grace. he is, after all, a political survival. although there may be lack of harmony in the anc and lack of
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leadership, he gives the impression he is a man in control. >> still to come on "gmt" -- room on fire. in the name of art, why the coliseum was engulfed in virtual flames. the pope is back of the vatican after his four-day visit to the united kingdom. his tour included repeated calls for people to resist what he describes as aggressive secularization. he also issued its most forthright comments yet on the child sex scandal. >> vatican official said the pope enjoyed a marvelous reception. at of the visit there were fears the trip will be derailed by protest. the pope did express sorrow for the child sex abuse scandal and that one big rally thousands made their views known on that and other issues.
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but at the end main event, supporters are outnumbered detractors outside. for four days catholics and non- catholics were able to get to know this pulled a lot better. >> absolutely delighted. i was really bald over by this whole thing. i think it has gone extremely well. as a catholic, absolutely delighted. >> nobody wanted in -- >> i think it went as well as we could have. the ones who wanted to protest against them -- could speak about why they did not -- they did that, too. >> many who welcomed the pope's apparent willingness to build bridges. there was the powerful symbolism of anglican and catholic leaders united in prayer and opposition to an increasingly secular society. some non-believers would have been underwhelmed. others hostile. but his most about followers, the visit provided different --
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deeply significant and uplifting spectacle. bbc news. >> if you got views on that story or any of the others we have been covering today, we would like to hear from you. we have our own bbc world news facebook page, you can see it there, as well as updates from us. you can find links from the bbc.com website. this is "gmt" from abc world news. i'm george alagiah. our main store -- american troops are taking over control of sangin in afghanistan from british forces, one of the country's most dangerous areas. with this story. our top story. let's go to kabul and speak to an afghan journalist who has worked extensively in helmand province. thank you for being with us. i know you have been talking to
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people on the ground in sangin. what do you think their reaction will be to this transfer of power to the americans? >> thank you very much. there were lots of people hopeful for this transformation of power. but that image was much deteriorated by early bombardment of the coalition brief -- forces that reportedly killed 50 civilian people in an area of the village. but still, people are hopeful and they are expecting some developments in the district, like reconstruction, health care, and they are expecting the government to be able to deliver the very services to the population. >> you say people are hopeful. what do you think the american troops have got to do
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differently? what should they do that is not the same as the british? >> i think understanding the fact that the war in afghanistan is not going to be winnable by military means. and there should be an understanding between the international forces and the local population. for the past four years, sangin district was like an island, surrounded by the taliban. and going in or out would require to go through the taliban areas. people think just the transformation of uniforms from the british to the americans will not change anything unless there is a comprehensive understanding of the local population and understanding what they really want. >> when you say then there has to be an understanding, that it
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can't just be down to the military, are you in fact saying that actually there needs to be talks with the taliban, that the people you say are surrounding sangin? >> i think the fight against the taliban has been going on for a decade now in afghanistan. and somebody has to think that there has to be some other means of resolving this war. of course, i think as far as i talked to people, tribal leaders in hellman's -- helmand, unless there are talks with the taliban, a political settlement, there isn't going to be a solution to this dynamic in afghanistan. >> thank you very much for your time. thank you. time now for the business news. >> hello, george. let's start with news of a new gold rush underway. in early london trading gold reached an all-time high of
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$1,283 an ounce. all the signs are that the metal could hit the 1300 marks and. just as the dollar falls to a five-week low against the bureau. -- euro. port hoosick this -- is expected in the u.s. housing market. am i think the lot will depend on government policies. i think one reason we see the gold price rise and so sharply is investors are looking for alternatives to currencies. the problem we are seeing right now is that there is a lot of concern that the u.s. may move back to quantitative easing. we know japan is moving back in that direction as well. whether the u.k. may do as well as another question and investors' minds. the problem is it could lead to cover depreciation or inflation. and gold and silver are also looked at as the best way to hedge against these risks. as long as these concerns are out there -- and a lot of that i
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think it's related to how government debt moves over the next few years -- i think gold and silver will remain in pretty strong demand. >> the australian dollar has been gaining value consistently for the past five weeks. boosted by strong demand for raw materials from china. but now survey by bloomberg suggested the currency may have become overvalued by as much as 27% and it could be poised for a sharp revaluation. >> australia is booming once again. it is largely thanks to china. beijing's efforts to stimulate the chinese economy prompted a surge in demand for products like coal and iron ore. that has helped fuel australia's economy which is growing at the fastest pace in three years. it attracted a wave of investment into the mining sector. to prevent the economy from overheating the central bank has increased interest rates sharply over the past year, leaving a much higher than in many of the
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developed countries. as a result, the value of the australian dollar has been climbing rapidly. it is worth almost as much as its american namesake. but experts warned it may not go much higher and could fall dramatically. there is a concern the slowdown in global growth of demand for australia's exports and also fears that prime minister gillard, a tax on mining firms, could deliver a further blow. it means investors are likely to seek safety in the old-fashioned values of the american greenback and turn away from the upstart aussie. >> let us take a look of the european financial markets but looking pretty positive on the day. u.s. market futures acts of the pointing to a strong opening on wall street. but that meeting of the fed and of course the housing data. that is all the business news. back to you. >> thank you very much. certainly a site you don't see every day.
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rom's ancient colosseum on fire. it was part of an art installation and the italian capital over the weekend, designed to shock people to take better care of their cultural heritage. the been kennedy reports from rome. >> rome burns, but no one is fiddling. this stunning display, lighting up the night sky in one of the world's most iconic buildings. but this is a work of art, and the coliseum is the canvas. it is all achieved through giant video projections that are digits' leave manipulated to simulate. it is the idea of an artist -- of artists who say this creation is about renewal and purification. >> we wanted something to symbolize the destruction and creation at once. and the interpretation -- also we wanted to question what
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heritage means to us. >> the two artists have spent four years planning this, using other buildings as tests. setting cultural symbols on fire virtually is their way of steering the dates and awareness of your's. kids sites. history suggests the coliseum experience the real fire in the third century after being hit by lightning, but survived. as you can see, the coliseum by daylight is still very much intact. not a scorch mark in sight. the organizers say the whole idea of art is burning buildings is and more than 900 years, it all about regeneration, which is rather act for the coliseum because of the next few months it is about to be renovated. it used to be the spectacle here was inside. now the building is its own gallery.
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coliseum and are going up in flames. duncan kennedy, bbc news, rome. >> realistic. that is it for this edition of "gmt." don't go away, there is plenty more on bbc world news. >> funding was pay -- made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a
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wide range of companies. from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> i'm can control. >> and ken burns. >> i'm lili taylor. i am henry louis gates, jr., and public broadcast is my source for news around the world. for intelligent conversation. >> election coverage. >> conversation about the sound bites. >> commitment to journalism. >> i am kerry washington and public broadcasting is my source for intelligence connections to my community. >> bbc world news was presented
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>> they're called strangozzi, but do these silky strands look as if they could strangle you?

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